Peek inside the world's most expensive hotel rooms

By Daisy Carrington, for CNN

Updated 12:15 PM ET, Tue March 4, 2014

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Photos:

Hotel President Wilson, Geneva – Costing $83,200 a night, the Royal Penthouse Suite at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva is the most expensive hotel room in the world. The 12-bedroom suite has hosted a venerable guest list, including Bill Gates and Michael Douglas. Apparently, some famous musicians have found inspiration in the panoramic views of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps.

Hide Caption

1 of 16

Photos:

Raj Palace, Jaipur – A night at the Shahi Mahal Suite at the Raj Palace Hotel in Jaipur, India costs $60,000. Currently, it is undergoing renovations, though when its finished, it will have a new 24,000-square-foot landscaped terrace garden and a three-sided infinity pool. The suite already boasts its own astrology room, library, bar and private theater.

Hide Caption

2 of 16

Photos:

Grand Hyatt, Cannes – The four-bedroom Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt Cannes ($51,800) comes decorated with original lithographs by Dufy, Picasso, Matisse and Stael. It has two lounge/dining rooms, two studies, two saunas and four bathrooms (each with a hydrotherapy bath and Turkish bath/shower). There are also two rooftop gardens, each with a century-old olive tree and jacuzzi.

Hide Caption

3 of 16

Photos:

Four Seasons, New York – The $45,000, one-bedroom Ty Warner Penthouse Suite in the Four Seasons New York is super sleek. Styled like a luxury apartment, it boasts four glass balconies and floor-to-celing windows offering panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline. There's also a zen room, calfskin-lined walls in the wardrobe, an invisible audio system, a spa room, a private entrance, butler service, a personal trainer, and a chauffeured Rolls Royce.

Palms Casino, Las Vegas – Palms Casino, Vegas also has a more modest $25,000 suite, which happens to be he only one in the world equipped with an indoor basketball court. The court includes a locker room and scoreboard. Non-ballers can enjoy the packed bar, dance floor and lounge, pool table and the 24-hour butler service.

Hide Caption

6 of 16

Photos:

St. Regis Saddiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi – The royal suite at the St. Regis Saddiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi costs $35,000 a night, and spans a whopping 22,600 square feet. The duplex suite has four bedrooms, a private movie theater, swimming pool and games room. There's also a dining room that can seat 12, and a living room with a Steinway piano (for the musically inclined).

Hide Caption

7 of 16

Photos:

The St. Regis New York, New York – The Presidential Suite at the iconic St. Regis New York City was redesigned last year by Richard Mishaan. The $35,000 per-night abode offers uninterrupted views of Central Park, and has its own dining room, living room, wood-paneled library and three bedrooms. There's also butler service, and access to the hotel's Bentley Mulsanne.

Hide Caption

8 of 16

Photos:

Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris – The Penthouse Suite ($30,700) at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris is decked out like a well-curated apartment. Each of the three bedrooms comes with a spacious walk-in wardrobe and oversized marble bathrooms (complete with a steam room, sauna and bidet).

Hide Caption

9 of 16

Photos:

The St Regis Mauritius Resort, Mauritius – The St. Regis Villa ($30,000) at the newly opened The St. Regis Mauritius Resort is the largest and most exclusive on the island. Created with large parties and families in mind, the four-bedroom residence has four heated pools. In addition to a dining area, a bar, two lounges, an office, and a gym, the villa also offers private access to the beach.

Hide Caption

10 of 16

Photos:

Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai – Guests at The Royal Bridge Suite at Atlantis, the Palm in Dubai get complimentary spa services, personal training sessions, dolphin encounters, access to the N'Dulge nightclub and unlimited passes to the attached Aquaventure Waterpark. All three bedrooms come with ensuite bathrooms (though the master bedroom has two -- a his and hers). The dining room also has a gold-plated dinner table that seats 16. The pricetag? $35,000 a night.

Hide Caption

11 of 16

Photos:

Le Richemond Hotel, Geneva – The $26,700 Royal Armleder Suite at Geneva's Le Richemond Hotel is not short on perks. Guests can host a cocktail party on the private terrace (overlooking the Alps and the old city), or relax in the hamman (Turkish bath). Each of the suite's three bedrooms comes with an ensuite bathroom and L'Occitane bath products.

Hide Caption

12 of 16

Photos:

Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills – The three-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot Penthouse Suite at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California is the largest suite in Los Angeles. The room clocks in at a princely $25,000 per night, and comes equipped with a wrap-around balcony and a dining room that seats 12 guests.

Hide Caption

13 of 16

Photos:

Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, Tokyo – The Frank Nicholson-designed suite the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo ($20,000) comes with a four-poster king-size bed, Frette linens, a private den and a dining room that seats 16. As the suite resides in Tokyo's tallest tower, the views of Shinjuku's skyline are pretty spectacular.

Hide Caption

14 of 16

Photos:

Burj Al Arab, Dubai – The Burj Al Arab's Royal Suite ($19,000) in Dubai comes with Hermes bath products, a 24-hour private butler, full-size jacuzzis and five-head rain showers in all the bathrooms, a menu featuring 17 types of pillows, a rotating four-poster bed, and free use of a 24-carat gold-plated iPad.

Hide Caption

15 of 16

Photos:

Four Seasons Hotel des Burgues, Geneva – The $13,400, one-bedroom Royal Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva is meant to resemble Versailles; the furniture is French reproduction, the ceilings are soaring, and the windows offer great views of Lake Geneva. The master bathroom is swathed in marble.

Hide Caption

16 of 16

Story highlights

A rise in millionaires throughout the world has created a market for luxury suites

These swank rooms can cost as much as $83,200 a night

Perks include everything from private NBA-size courts to a Bentley rental

At $83,200 a night, the Royal Penthouse Suite at Geneva's Hotel President Wilson is the most expensive hotel room in the world. Guests are not left wanting for much: the suite has 12 bedrooms and 12 marble bathrooms, plus a wraparound terrace with views of the Alps that have been said to move a handful of famous musicians to song (there's a Steinway piano, should the backdrop not be enough). VIPs traveling without an entourage can make use of the private staff -- butler, chef, personal assistant.

While such super-premium suites are nothing new, it used to be that they were a one-off. These days, luxury hotel are clamoring to turn over space (and a lot of it) for these ultra-luxury abodes.

"There were five-figure rooms in the '90s, but there were fewer," acknowledges Nikhil Bhalla, vice president of equity research in lodging at FBR Capital Markets.

"Since then, the world has produced many more millionaires than what existed 20 or 30 years ago, so clearly the number of people who can easily afford these rooms has gone up many fold," he says.

Last year, as part of a $140 million renovation, the New York Palace Hotel unveiled a couple of specialty suites, including a penthouse overlooking Central Park for $28,000 a night. According to Paul James, the global brand leader for Starwood's luxury brands, of the 40 or so new properties the hotel group has in the pipeline, about half will be outfitted with premium rooms.

"We call them our e-wow suites -- short for 'extreme wow,'" he says, referring to suites at the W Hotels.

Bhalla says that emerging markets are helping to push the demand for luxury rooms to new levels.

JUST WATCHED

Is tech changing the hotel industry?

MUST WATCH

JUST WATCHED

Starwood Hotels and the modern traveler

MUST WATCH

Starwood Hotels and the modern traveler03:06

"There's more money in the world today than there was five, or even two years ago. In countries like China or India, there's a whole new class and level of people moving up the economic ladder who can afford these luxury experiences. As other parts of the world get developed and their economies get bigger, I imagine that will continue to be the case."

A new class of amenities

Given the price point, it's important these premium rooms offer more in the way of perks than generic shampoo bottles or a pillow chocolate. In many suites -- which these days mimic apartments, or even mansions in size -- bath products range from L'Occitane to Hermes. Butlers, private chefs, personal trainers, drivers and masseuses are on call (and often included in the price). There's usually extra bedrooms, dining and living rooms for hosting and offices for conducting work. Exceptional views and a prime location are a must, as is discretion (most suites have private entrances).

According to Christopher Noton, the president of hotel operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the Four Seasons, the real worth of a luxury stay is the service, not the space.

"Our clients go from having multiple expectations to hyper-expectations, and what that means is that we must know who they are, how they act and what they want," he says.

"If you want to be left alone, I sense that, and I make sure that happens. If you want to be fussed over, we'll fuss over you. Really, it's the total custom experience."

High expectations?

Of course, when someone's dropping that kind of money on a hotel stay, the pressure to make it perfect is heightened.

"There are very high expectations, but then, there's a very high level of personal service," says James.

Bhalla adds that the higher the price tag, the greater the importance of adding experiential elements to the package -- everything from stunning views of sporting events to NBA-sized basketball courts.

"It's almost a funny thing to say at this price range, but at the end of the day, what people are looking for is value. If I'm spending $25,000 a night at a hotel, am I getting an experience that makes me feel it's worth it?" he says.